Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1887-02-02
A VALENTINE.

GO and stay all night with old Mrs,
Fairfax? Indeed can't go. Pm in {
hurry to get my quilt together" de-
clarcd Patty Ann Bunting, as she put the
finishing touch to the block of pink-and-
blue nine patch she was piccng.
"And pve got the kitchen and back
porch to scour, and some ironing to do
before Sunday" cried AdaIinc. $50
it's out Of the question for me to Co."
"Wcll, | shan't go either" asserted
Penelope, the youngest Miss Bunting,
tossing back her tar-black braids and
lrowning ominousIy. "If Cecil Fairfax
chooses to so accounting that hateful,
stuck-up Priscilla Pinkham, he can get
somebody besides me to stay with his
mother, l can tell him."
"But papa thinks so much of old Mrs.
Fairfax" dcmurrcd Patty Ann, she
won't hear to none of us going.'
"Thcrc comes Vincy Farron in the
gate now," cried Adalinc. Lets get
her to 90, and not tell her Cccils gone
away. It'll be good joke"
eyes" agreed Penelope. Ntll serve
her just right. She was setting her cap
for Cecil all summer, till that PInkham
girl come and caught him."
"Pooh! He don't care snap for
Vlncy, anyway" said Patty Ann, get
ting red in the face. 'But she can't re-
fuse to go, and thatll save us the trou-
ble.n
V.ncy Farron was a cousin Of the Bunt-
ing girls. She lived with her brother
and his wife in little log cabin, on a
ten acre farm adjoining that of her Un-
Gle Bunting.
Tom Farron and his wife were poor as
church mice themselves but they gave
their sister a home, and she helped to
exc out the slender income by knitting
socks for the village store at forty cents
pair, and by "taking in" sewing when
ever she could get it.
81 came over to borrow some Drowned
coffee" said Vincy, coming in fresh and
rosy from the frosty winter air.
eyes, to be surc," returned Adalinc,
more cheerful than was her wont. "And,
Viney, would you mind going over o
old Mrs. Fairfaxs to-day? She wanted
some one of US to come but we are all
80 busy"
And with a little deepening of the
pink in her checks, Whey gave the re-
quircd assent, and trippcd away with
her bowl Of coiflc, while the three
cousins burst into i hca,ty laugh at the
success of their pan.
"Shc thinks Cecil will be there" said
Penelope, maIiciousIy. "Won't she be
nicely fooled, though2'
"Comc in, my dear. | am so glad TO
sec you'll" said old Mrs. Fairfax, as Vim.
cy appeared, with rosy cheeks and a
fringe Of curling, light brown hair peep.
ing from under her scarlet hood. "Yvu'll
stay all night, won't you, Vncy2' said
the old lady, placing a chair for the Wis
itor close to the sparkling hardwood fire
that was glowing on the broad hearth.
81 didn't expect to stay so long" said
Vincy, the dimplcs dancing in her bright
checks; "but can, if you want me-"
And she thought of the pleasant time
she would have, chatting with Cecil at
supper, and aftcrward, with the freight
flashing brightly on the hearth, and
lighting up the pleasant, coscy sitting
DOM, with its bright rag carpet, its
spider-lcggcd chairs and claw-footcd
mahogany table.
'TII be glad to have you stay" said
Mrs. Fairfax, stirring up the fire with n
long hickory poker, "Gur Cccil's gone to
the city, an I'll be alone all night"
Viney's heart, which had been as light